New building opened opened for Grand Lake branch of library
by Angie Asam– Staff Writer
The ribbon has been cut and the Grand Lake branch of the Presque Isle District Library is now officially open for business. About one hundred people from Presque Isle Township and the surrounding area attended the grand opening ceremony on Saturday. Chairman of the library Board of Trustees, Beach Hall, spoke to the crowd before the ribbon was cut. Hall had extended thank yous to the many individuals and groups that made this project possible including the Friends of the Library, the Presque Isle Township officials and the members of the Grand Lake Chapel who had to relinquish some land for this project to be a go.
Chuck Winters, the architect of the project, came to be much more than an architect during the project; he oversaw the construction and even helped with the landscaping. Also contributing wer Kris Gerke and his crew at North Shore construction, Art Ross who hooked up the computers, and all those who donated money, such as the Banner Trust Fund for whom the conference room is being named, and the Presque Isle Men?s C
Hall explained some of the features of the building, one being the conference room which has a separate entrance and can be used by any non-profit group at any time, even outside library hours. The building features a geothermal heating and cooling system, the largest closed loop system in northeast Michigan. Much of the furniture in the new building is recycled from the old building, and the new lighting is all energy efficient. Signs will be placed on the roads leading to the library and a new sign will be placed at the entrance to attract more visitors in the future.
Marilyn Hallaron, who served a great many years on the library board, had the honors of cutting the ribbon along with Presque Isle district library director Jan Stevenson. Following the ribbon cutting, Tom Hallaron of the Presque Isle Men?s club presented a check to Stevenson to aid in the purchase of a flagpole for the library. The opening of this new building was a joy-filled occasion, as many could be seen with tears in their eyes to see the beauty of this new building, a big change from the concrete-walled building the library used to operate from.